Chapter 146

Shawna POV

I wake to pounding on my bedroom door. Sunlight streams in through the crack in the curtains and I look over at the clock on the nightstand to see it's barely seven in the morning. "Shawna," the pounding resumes. "Mom said you're in there, open the door so I can see my sister!" It's my brother Ben, practically beating the door down. I look down where the blankets have slipped to Michael's waist, his chest on display. He opens one eye to peer at me.

"You going to let him keep up with the pounding?" he asks gently. "Should I get up and answer it?"

"Ummm," I look down and see that I'm naked. "Just a minute Ben," I yell. I climb out of bed and pick my leggings up off the floor, slipping them on and then grabbing my sweater. "Where's my bra?" I ask Michael. He points to my dresser, where it was flung the night before, landing on top. I grab it and shove it into the top drawer and then just pull my sweater on.

I fling the door open. "What the hell Ben, it's early." He pulls me in for a hug.

"I thought you were dead!" Ben exclaims. "You're a site for sore eyes," then he wrinkles his nose. "Your room smells like sex." I can't help it, I bust up laughing.

"My mate," I point to Michael, who is still in bed, but now laying on his side watching us. He smiles wickedly at my brother. Ben makes a face and then steps back into the hallway.

"I will wait in the kitchen. I have coffee on," he says backing away with a smirk.

"Where's mom?" I ask.

"She's at the pack house, said she had to do some work for the Alpha. She went in early so she could be back by lunchtime. Dad's on patrol," he turns and walks to the kitchen. "Seriously," he shouts. "Get out here."

I close the door and look at Michael. "Sorry. My brother is the loud one in the family." I grab some underwear and my bra and turn back to Michael. "I'm going to freshen up really quick and then go talk with him. You coming?"

"Yeah babe, just let me get dressed and I will be out." I nod and go to the bathroom to clean up and put on underwear and my bra. By the time I'm out, Michael is in the kitchen with Ben and they are talking. They seem comfortable with each other, which tells me that Ben likes him.

"Hey sis," Ben says. "Your mate says you're moving to Georgia."

"That's right," I say as I grab an apple out of the bowl on the counter and take a bite. "It's where his pack is. He's going to be leading the warriors."

Ben looks at me and smiles. "An Alpha none the less. Mom didn't mention that," he says as he sips his coffee.

"She was to busy being.....well being Mom," I say. "She probably didn't notice."

"You don't need to tell me all the details Shawna, I'm just glad you're alive. How long are you staying for?" he asks.

"A few days. Where's Lynn?" I finally ask about my sister.

"She lives in town, mated to a human," Ben makes a face. "But she's happy, so that's all that matters." I can tell her means it, even if he doesn't agree.

"And you?" I ask.

"Yeah, my mate is at home pregnant. You remember Cassidy?" He smiles. Cassidy was two years younger than him, and had followed him around like a lost puppy since they were kids.

"For real?" I gasp.

"Crazy right?" he asks. "The first full moon run that we both went on, we found out. She was just waiting to be old enough, she kept telling me we were mates and I'd brush her off." My brother looks lost for a minute. "I was kind of a dick to her that whole year before, I told her that she was delusional and that it was just a crush. She never stopped telling me she knew it was me." He looks away. "Anyway, she's the best."

"I'm happy for you," I say.

Ben laughs, "good, cause Mom hates her."

"What? Why?" Ben shrugs.

Michael just stands leaning against the counter, listening to us go back and forth. "I'm starving," I say. "Let me cook some breakfast," I lean around Michael and open the refrigerator. "Bacon, eggs, potatoes?" I ask.

"Heck yeah," Ben says. "My sister can cook, but I am sure you know that already," he says to Michael.

"Actually, I don't," Michael says. "We haven't actually lived together yet."

"But you're mates," Ben says surprised.

"We lived in the pack house, and then the last month we were living with the Alpha in Montana, so we had someone cooking for us," I tell him. "I will cook when we get settled in Georgia," I peak at Michael, "Unless he wants to eat with the rest of his family, I'm sure they have a cook."

Michael laughs, a loud jovial laugh, one I rarely hear from him. "If you can cook and you want to cook, by all means Shawna, I'd rather be in our own home. You will see, my mother will monopolize enough of your time."

"Oh?" He hasn't said a lot about his family, particularly his mother. "You hadn't said."

"She's nice, but she never stops talking. She's going to love you and therefore she will want to have you over all the time. If you couldn't cook, she'd have the perfect excuse." Michael smiles at me.

"How big is your family exactly?" I finally ask.

"There are my two brothers, Natalie and me," he says. "Natalie was the youngest, she followed me to Idaho because mother was trying to marry her off to any Alpha within a hundred mile radius."

"Good thing then," I chuckle, remembering how smitten she was with Carl from the start. "Carl would have gone moon crazy."

"Who's Carl?" Ben asks.

"Natalie's mate," I reply as I pull potatoes from the pantry.

"You've had a whole other life Shawna," Ben remarks.

"Yes, but the first of it was horrible," I swallow, and then turn and give him a half smile. "Breakfast will be ready in thirty minutes. You two can sit at the counter bar," I point to the stools so they will get out of my way.

I work quickly, like I used to do when it was my day to cook for the family. I am just pulling the bacon out of the oven when my father walks in. "Smells good, did you make enough for me?" he asks.

"I made four pounds of bacon, a dozen scrambled eggs, and five pounds of hashbrowns."

Dad hums, "There are three grown men here Shawna, and have you seen the size of your mate? He's huge."

"It's enough dad," I kiss him on the cheek. "Wash up, let's have breakfast."